Takeshi Kaga

Takeshi Kaga (鹿賀 丈史, Kaga Takeshi), real name Shigekatsu Katsuta (勝田 薫且, Katsuta Shigekatsu, born October 12, 1950), is a well-known stage and movie actor in Japan who is probably best known internationally for his portrayal of Chairman Kaga in the Japanese television show Iron Chef produced by Fuji TV.[1]

Takeshi Kaga
Born
Shigekatsu Katsuta

(1950-10-12) October 12, 1950
Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
OccupationActor
Years active1972–present
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Children1 son
WebsiteOfficial site

Biography

Kaga was born on October 12, 1950, in the city of Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. His first experience on stage was at the age of seven when he joined the Kanazawa City Boys choral group.

In 1972, he joined the Japanese theatrical company Gekidan Shiki. While with the company, he played the role of Jesus in the Japanese stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), and role of Tony in West Side Story (1974). In 1980 he left Shiki to play the role of Sanada in the movie The Beast To Die. He starred in several movies throughout the 1980s, but his most famous role would be that of "Chairman Kaga", the eccentric and flamboyant host of Ryōri no Tetsujin, a cooking competition show (1993–1999). It became very popular, not only in Japan, but around the English-speaking world. Previously broadcast on the Food Network, then on the Fine Living Network in the United States and on SBS in Australia, under the name Iron Chef, the show is now being carried on the Cooking Channel in the United States, and in the UK in Iron Chef UK. The host of Iron Chef America, Mark Dacascos, is claimed on ICA to be Takeshi's nephew, though the stated relationship is actually between the fictional characters played by the two men.

Despite his international fame with the show, he has not given up his love for musicals. In 1987 he starred in the popular Japanese production of Les Misérables as Jean Valjean and Javert. He reprised his role as Valjean in 1995 as the representative of Japan during the encore of the 10th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables at the Royal Albert Hall in London. During the encore, Valjeans from 17 different countries joined the cast on stage. He also starred in Macbeth in 2000, and in Jekyll & Hyde as well as in The Threepenny Opera in 2001. In 2009, he starred in a Japanese-language version of La Cage aux Folles .

He has also lent his voice to Japanese anime. Notably, he voiced Jirarudan, an antagonist, in 1999's Pokémon the Movie: Revelation Lugia, the second Pokémon movie, and also sung his theme song, "Ware Wa Collector." He also notably voiced Dr. Kiriko in 2005's Black Jack: The Two Doctors of Darkness.

After Iron Chef ended, he returned to acting in movies and dramas. He also hosted Time Shock 21, a quiz show on Asahi Television in Japan. In 2005, Kaga performed as the lead in the Japanese production of Michael Frayn's Democracy and starred in the blockbuster film Sengoku Jieitai 1549. Kaga also appeared in both installments of the highly successful Death Note film series as Soichiro Yagami.

More recently, he played Emperor Kinkaku (King of the Golden Horn) in the film adaptation of the TV series Saiyuki. He also provided the voice for Golbez in the Nintendo DS remake of Final Fantasy IV, and has reprised the same role in Dissidia: Final Fantasy for the PSP.

Filmography

Films
Year Film Role
1980 The Beast To Die Tetsuo Sanada
1981 Akuryoto Kosuke Kindaichi
1982 Suspicion Katsuo Toyosaki
1984 Mahjong horoki dosa-Ken
1986 cabaret Takigawa
1988 Kimurake no hitobito Hazime Kimura
1993 Graduation Journey: I Came from Japan Momoo Momoyama
1996 Sasurai no Trouble buster Kunihiko Ugajin
1996 Ultraman Zearth Akuma Ogami / Alien Benzene
1997 Ultraman Zearth 2 Alien Benzene
1999 Pokémon: The Movie 2000 Jiraldan
2005 Sengoku Jieitai 1549 Tsuyoshi Matoba / Oda Nobunaga
Black Jack: Two Doctors in Black Dr. Kiriko
2006 Moyurutoki THE EXCELLENT COMPANY Fukai
Death Note Soichiro Yagami
Death Note: The Last Name
2007 Saiyuki Kinkaku Daio (King of the Golden Horn)
2008 K-20: Legend of the Mask Mysterious Gentleman
2009 Zero Focus Gisaku Murota
Warau keikan Masazumi Ishioka
2011 Andalucía: Megami no hofuku Yosuke Ando
Ninja Kids!!! Yukitaka Saito
Kaibutsu-kun Kaibutsu Daio (King Monster)
2013 Bushi no Kondate Naomi Maeda
2015 Sinbad: Sora Tobu Hime to Himitsu no Shima Captain (voice)
2017 Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale Dr. Shigemura (voice)[2]
2019 Whistleblower Motonari Nashida
Listen to the Universe Masayuki Onodera[3]
2020 Mio's Cookbook Uneno Sōma
2021 Signal: The Movie Shinjirō Itagaki

Television
Year TV show Role
1978 Ougon no hibi Dom Justo Takayama
1980–1981 Tenno no ryoriban Shintaro Takayama
1981 Honzitsumo seitennari Masamichi Ohara
G-Men '75 Kusaka
1983 Tokugawa Ieyasu Ishida Mitsunari
Ooku Tokugawa Yoshimune
1984 Shitetsuensen 97bunsyo Nara
1987–1988 Jungle / NEW Jungle Kuniaki Tsugawa
1990 Tobugagotoku Okubo Toshimichi
1992 Kireini naritai Moriya Hirose
1993-2001 Ryōri no Tetsujin Chairman Kaga
1993 Furikaereba yatsugairu Junichi Nakagawa
1994 Furuhata Ninzaburo Junichi Nakagawa
Shizukanaru Don Ryugi Naruto
1995 Kura Izo Tanouchi
1999 jyoi Atsuro Wakisaka
2000 Renai chudoku Kojiro Itsuji
2003 Black Jack ni yoroshiku Yoshiyuki Yasutomi
2004 FIRE BOYS - Firefighter! Daigo of Fire Company M Hazime Gomi (Capt. Gomi)
2007 Yukan Club Tokimune Shochikubai
2008 Oh! My Girl!! Kazuo Ishizaka
2009 Dandy Daddy? ~Renaishosetsuka Ryunosuke Izaki~ Taizo Sasaki
2010 Kaibutsu-kun Kaibutsu Daio (King Monster)
JOKER Yurusarezaru sosakan Masaaki Izutsu
2011 Diplomat Kosaku Kuroda Yosuke Ando
Good Life~Arigato,papa.sayonara~ Shinpei Yukimura
The Bull Doctor Izuru Jyomongi
2016 Jimi ni Sugoi! Kōetsu Girl: Kouno Etsuko Daisaku Hongō[4]
2017 Blazing Transfer Students Takizawa Noboru
2018 Segodon Shimazu Narioki

Stage
Year Stage Role
1973–1979 Jesus Christ Superstar Jesus Christ
1974–1979 West Side Story Tony
1986 / 1988 Torch Song Trilogy Arnold
1987-2001 Les Misérables Jean Valjean / Javert (1987-1988 / 2005 / 2007 / 2011)
2000 Macbeth Macbeth
2001 The Threepenny Opera Mackie Messer, or Mack the Knife
2001 / 2003 / 2005 / 2007 Jekyll & Hyde Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde
2005 / 2008 Democracy Willy Brandt
2006 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Lawrence Jameson
2007 / 2009 Kinshu Yasuaki Arino
2008 The Seagull Boris Alexeyevich Trigorin
La Cage aux Folles Georges
2009 Cyrano Cyrano de Bergerac
2010 The Fantasticks El Gallo
2011 Burnt by the Sun Comdiv Sergei Petrovich Kotov
2015 Death Note: The Musical Soichiro Yagami

References
  1. "Dansei Talent". Horipro Square. 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  2. "Sword Art Online Ordinal Scale Anime Film Casts Sayaka Kanda". Anime News Network. December 5, 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
  3. "Listen to the Universe". TIFF. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  4. TV 地味にスゴイ！校閲ガール・河野悦子. allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
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